


Ahava-- A Happy Memory

by Aniaraaa



Category: Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica, RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst, Gen, Magical Girls, Mental Anguish, RWBY - Freeform, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:22:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27489544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aniaraaa/pseuds/Aniaraaa
Summary: Hell is temporary. Love is not.Amara has sought refuge and training in Forever Fall.This takes place after the events of Dread, and before Amara returns to Atlas to join Salem, during the long battle of attrition and standoff between Atlas and Salem's forces that takes place between vol 7 and vol 8.





	Ahava-- A Happy Memory

[In Forever Fall, probably several months in the past, before she officially joined Salem.]

Normally Amara would never attempt meditation. In earlier lives she tried it, with terrible results. But what her Sensei suggested actually made sense, unlike the mind-wrenching Zen (and other) techniques she tried before.

And she looks up to him, so she'd give it a chance regardless. She's been doing it regularly for a short time now, a few weeks. She feels like she's beginning to find herself again. 

She lies down on top of a fallen wall, an ancient stone ruin, and gazes up at bright red leaves waving against a blue sky.

Focusing on a happy memory. Like Silver-eyed warriors do to harness their power.

A thousand years ago. Sitting by a window with an older sister, watching the flashes of lightning, listening to the loud rumbling of the night sky. Breathing in the ionized air, the window cracked open. She always found thunderstorms exciting and beautiful.

She closes her eyes.

Not all of her families have been terrible, even in the more superstitious ages, which come and go like the tides. The family from this memory, a thousand years ago, was affectionate and kind. She wonders if that sister is in the Pure Land watching her. Or doing time in one of the unpleasant realms. Or non-magically reincarnating on Remnant, with no conscious memories of her previous lives.

Wherever she is, Amara fiercely, desperately hopes the brothers never get their hands on her.

They've somehow infested the realms beyond death, setting up cages, afterlife antechambers, for those unfortunate enough to fall victim to their cruel, petty games. Some of those cages are pretty inside, but they are still cages.

Other cages are quite obvious about what they are. Amara is well acquainted with those.

The thought of her former sister-- or anyone she cares for-- falling into the brothers' traps fills her with dread. Then focused, protective rage.

Life is precious, and must be protected.

All of Remnant is in danger of being either destroyed, or 'unified' and caged, by those perverted, sanctimonious monsters. She must prevent this.

For her former sister. Ahava. Her name was Ahava. It was so long ago she'd nearly forgotten.

For every family who was ever kind to her, despite her dangerous, uncontrolled magical outbursts as a child.

For her current mother, Ms. Cerridwen.

For Raven Branwen, her tribe leader, mentor, and lifelong family friend.

For her Sensei here in Forever Fall.

For every Silver-eyed person she murdered, on Ozma's orders, in her misguided early lives.

For Ruby Rose.

For Salem-sama, a woman cruelly tormented by the so-called gods for the 'sin' of grieving the loss of a loved one, and for striking back at her tormentors like a wounded animal.

For Gretchen-san, who Amara has known by hundreds of names in as many lifetimes. Time after time, Amara has tried and failed to warn her, and had to watch her die the same tragic, pointless death.

Life is precious, and must be protected.

Not just physical life, which becomes a burden if endured for too long without a rest. But the essence of life, the brilliant softness of the soul. That which resides in the smiles Amara and her sister Ahava exchanged as they watched that thunderstorm together. Amara sleepily laying her head on Ahava's shoulder. Ahava hugging her, carrying her to bed, and singing to her.

Wherever Ahava is now, the brothers must never lay a finger on her, physically or spiritually. They must never even lay eyes on her.

Life is precious, and must be protected.

For those she loves, Amara doesn't care how deeply she has to embrace the destructive nature of her curse. She doesn't care how many more impurities she has to collect. She doesn't care how many more times she has to be dragged into the afterlife antechamber of the brother of darkness. To endure the agony of being eaten by him, then released to one of the various hells in the actual afterlife, until her next reincarnation.

Hell is temporary. Love is not.

She will find a way to stop those blasphemous, genocidal monsters. Even if she has to fully embrace the monster within herself. Even if she has to suffer and die and suffer again, countless times, cursed, remembered by no one.

A bright flash of light penetrates the ancient Magical Girl's closed eyelids. A pause. A crash of thunder. Warm rain caresses her face. She inhales the lovely scent of jasmine on the charged air.

She opens her eyes. It is night. A bolt of lightning flashes across the sky, followed again by the roar of thunder.

Amara smiles serenely. She now knows what she has to do. War is coming. A war more horrifying than anything the ancient Magical Girl has witnessed previously. But for now, for the first time in ages, she is at peace.


End file.
